Falling Apart
by TML
Summary: Hotch doesn't understand why Emily worries so much about him. Emily doesn't understand why Hotch doesn't see that he needs help. Song fic...Broken by Lifehouse... goes without saying, HP!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Note: When you start writing on your leg while in a Sonic drive thru you need to stop and put the story on paper or in this case Microsoft. With that being said this is a song fic…well… it will be…

Summery: Hotch doesn't understand why Emily worries so much about him. Emily doesn't understand why Hotch doesn't see that he needs help.

**Falling Apart**

Chapter One

"Emily, earth to Emily." Morgan snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Did you hear anything I said?" He asked, most would have been annoyed but at that moment Derek Morgan was amused. It was rare that you caught Emily while she wasn't 100% focused.

"Oh sorry, what did you say?" She was embarrassed at being caught, her mind was in another world.

"I said, I lost a bet with Garcia and so I have to sing a song at the karaoke bar with the entire team there otherwise she will post tonight's performance on the web, you wouldn't do that to me would you?" For the first time ever Derek Morgan had a scared look on his face.

She opened her mouth ready to decline. She really didn't feel like being with everyone tonight. She looked to Hotch's office. "And before you say no Hotch agreed to come, so if you don't come you'll be the only one." He used the peer pressure technique along with his puppy dog eyes.

Great she thought. The one person she didn't want to be in a group outing with. "Please Emily, pleeeaaasssseee… you know what Garcia can do with a computer…can you imagine if this video got on the web?"

She really did feel bad for him. "Fine Morgan, I'll go, but you owe me."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." He hugged her and ran off to find Garcia. Emily went back to what had had her attention in the first place.

***********Two Days Prior***********

"Aaron I can't help you if you don't let me." Emily was beyond frustrated. They'd been together for close to 6 months and it always came back to him trying to deal with everything on his own. Every time she asked if he was alright or if he needed anything she received the same response. 'I'm fine.'

Today was the final straw. He'd barely eaten or slept in three days and on the nights he did sleep it was restless. He looked terrible and Emily was sure that he felt it, but was he going to allow her to help? Highly unlikely. She wasn't even sure if he knew just how much help he really needed.

And there it went again. "I'm fine Emily, don't worry about me so much." He was tired, hungry and just plain annoyed. Why she worried so much about him he didn't know. He was fine. He didn't need her to worry herself. He appreciated it but she needed to realize he didn't need her to take care of him. Emily sighed. She wasn't getting anywhere.

"Look Aaron, I'm going to give you some time to think. Please take care of yourself. If not for you then for me." He didn't say anything as she placed a peck on his cheek and left.

***********Present Day***********

Hotch sat in his office. He periodically looked out his window. There sat Emily. He knew from the look on her face she was trying to tell Morgan she didn't want to attend their team outing. He couldn't blame her. He himself had tried to opt out. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd walked out of his apartment, but he had tried to do as she'd asked and that was to take care of himself. He'd eaten some and then spent the remainder of the night looking at his clock.

While he hadn't had much sleep he'd had plenty of time to think. He loved her, he knew that. He also knew she loved him otherwise she wouldn't be so worried about him. In that moment while sitting in his office he realized just how bad everything really was.

She was right. How was it he hadn't seen it himself? He loosened his tie, it felt as though the world was closing in on him. He really was falling apart.

***********Bar***********

The team all sat in one long table. Emily walked in late, a rare occurrence but one that happened on occasion. Most those occasions being events she didn't want to be at. 'Great.' She thought. All the seats were taken except for the corner one facing the stage, directly across form Hotch.

"Emily!" Everyone said in unison. It seemed everyone had had a couple of drinks in them. Garcia and Morgan sat at the other end of the table across from each other followed by Reid and Austen and finally JJ and Rossi sat next to Aaron and Emily.

"So Morgan what's it gonna be?" Rossi was definitely enjoying this. While Morgan was confident in many things singing in front of his peers was not one of them, especially when he was threatened with a video camera. Now that wasn't so bad what really worried him was the threat that the video would be shown to his sisters. And if that happened he would never hear the end of it.

"How about you start us off there Rossi." Morgan teased. If he was going to do this he sure as hell wasn't going to be the only one. He'd get as many of them up with him as he could. "Uh uh…you're on your own my friend. I have learned to leave well enough alone." He smiled down at JJ.

"Good man." Garcia interjected, she stood up and grabbed several song booklets handing them out to everyone.

"ooh how about Sweet Home Alabama" Austin teased.

"Ha, NO." If he was going to do this it would be a song of his choice. "How about 'when a man does wrong, ain't no coming back home." Garcia teased him. It was a song off the Fast and the Furious soundtrack. A movie she knew he didn't like. "again NO." The song however caught Hotch's attention. He looked up then slowly turned his gaze to Emily. If she'd had a reaction to the song she didn't show it. She continued to turn the pages of the booklet.

While Morgan had yet to find his song Hotch came across the perfect one for himself. The only thing left was getting the nerve to sing it. He ordered himself another shot. This was it. After this song not only would he apologize for being an idiot but the team would know about him and Emily's relationship. At that moment though he didn't care.

AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was originally two chapters but they would have been way to short and I wouldn't do that to you guys. This story has one more chapter definitely we'll see what may or may not happen after that…This story's just meant to keep me from writing on my leg while waiting for my food. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the grammatical mistakes, I'm tired and I just had my wisdom teeth removed…uhhhh… Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I didn't mention this in the first chapter but it goes without saying that I don't own the show or the song… because if I did things would be going differently…Enjoy…

The team was distracted. They needed to find the perfect song for Morgan. A song that was somewhat easy to sing but also crazy enough for them to tease him about in the future.

"Morgan if you don't decide soon we're all going to die of old age." Emily had suggested several songs but none were manly enough for him.

"Don't rush me Emily. If I have to do this I'll pick the song."

"I think you're stalling."

"I am not stalling JJ…"

"Sure you're not, don't forget Austen knows the bar owner and he said he'd keep it open until you sang." Garcia was having fun. Morgan's avoidance of singing was actually quite entertaining.

Morgan threw chips at Garcia in response. Hotch excused himself saying he was going to the bathroom. He was extremely nervous but he knew he had to do this. After everything Emily had done for him, what was a little embarrassment.

"It's been ten minutes, Emily do you know where Aaron went?" Rossi was curious, it wasn't like him to be gone from the group for so long without an explanation.

She shook her head. "He said he was going to the bathroom. What I do know is Morgan is stalling."

"No I'm not, I'm…" Morgan was interrupted as a song began to play and the singer began. The voice all too familiar.

"_The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight  
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time  
I am here still waiting, though I still have my doubts  
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out." _

Hotch moved towards Emily. She gasped when he knelt down in front of her, taking her hand.

_"I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing  
With a broken heart that's still beating  
In the pain, there is healing  
In your name I find meaning  
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on  
I'm barely holdin' on to you_

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head  
I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead  
I still see your reflection inside my eyes  
That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life"

"I'm sorry Emily, I'm sorry for pushing you away, for not letting you in, after everything you've done for me you are the one person I can trust with anything. I'm an idiot because you saw that I needed help before I did. I didn't want to see it. My world was slowly falling apart and while you were trying to help me I pushed you away and just made things worse."

The team didn't know what to do, they were all too shocked. Not shocked that the two were together, anyone could see they cared for each other and had something more than just friendship, they were shocked that Aaron Hotchner spoke of his feelings in such a public setting.

Emily was at a loss for words. She didn't expect this. "These past two days have been the worst. Not waking up next to you, not talking to you has made me want to crawl into a whole and not come out. I miss you Emily." He poured his heart out. Emily reached with her other and cupped his face. She gave him a small smile.

"I missed you too." She bent down and kissed him. "I need your help." He whispered.

"I'm here Aaron. No matter what, I will always be here." She gave him a tight hug.

"Let's go home. You look like crap." He chuckled. He was sure he looked like death. Without another word to each other or the team he stood up and extended his hand out to her. She took his hand and together they walked out hand in hand leaving a very confused team.

"What just happened?" JJ was the first to recover from the shock.

"How long do you think that's been going on?" Reid asked.

Again no one had an answer. "You got lucky Derek Morgan because that can not be topped."

Morgan let out a sigh of relief. "Oh you still have to sing hot stuff just not today."

"Ah come on baby girl, I'm sure there is something else I could do." He told her seductively.

"Oh there's plenty handsome, but you're not getting out of this." She winked.

Morgan groaned.

"Did Hotch and Emily just leave us with the check?" Reid asked suddenly.

"I'll get it." Rossi pulled out his wallet. "Besides those two have plenty to deal with at the moment."

"So you think we can bombard them with questions Sunday? It'll give them a whole day to come up with a good story." Garcia wanted details. She prided herself on knowing everything.

The team nodded. They would get their answers soon.

AN: If you've read my profile you'll know that I am constantly listening to Broken by Lifehouse. The play count is over 8000, you would think I would get sick of it but it inspires me no matter what I'm working on. Hope you liked this pointless little piece... My external is broken and it holds the sequel to Emergency Contact…uhh…I'll try to get that soon… Happy Fourth of July!


End file.
